


these walls are thin, but my love for you is thick

by whatmakeslarrybeautiful



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Cheesy, Cute, Cute Kids, Disney Songs, Fluff, Louis is a Tease, M/M, One Shot, Sappy, Singing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, harry is a delicate flower petal dont argue, i still don't know how to tag, larry - Freeform, larry stylinson - Freeform, like literally fluff only
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-28
Updated: 2015-08-28
Packaged: 2018-04-17 16:54:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4674296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatmakeslarrybeautiful/pseuds/whatmakeslarrybeautiful
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis' flat has paper thin walls. Which means he can hear his new neighbor, Harry, singing. And moaning. When he does meet Harry, he is lovely and awkward and beautiful. Louis is completely endeared, and one day he comes upon Harry singing nursery rhymes to a child. Maybe thin walls and Louis' entire life has lead up to this. Needless to say, he joins them. Story is better than summary I promise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	these walls are thin, but my love for you is thick

**Author's Note:**

> OK so I had writers block do idek what this is. Its a bit all over the place, but I wanted to write this before I return to hell aka school on Sunday. Sorry. And, what even is the title oops.

 Louis had always been a light sleeper. Maybe it was because growing up with too many siblings always had him alert, but he was super sensitive to noise. So it wasn't unusual he woke up startlingly from when he was about to fall into a deep sleep. He looked around blearily at his phone, grumbling as his eyes squinted in the harsh light and read 12:35 am. Just two hours had passed since he got into bed, before he woke up.

It took his disoriented mind a second before he could pick up on what had caused him to wake up.  _Someone....singing?? What....that couldn't be right_. Louis strained to listen.

  _"....you're the straw to my berry, you're the smoke to my high...."_

 Louis swore under his breath. Of course some idiot had to be up at this hour singing (loudly) cheesy songs. And of course it had to be his new neighbor from the next door flat. And of fucking course the walls were paper thin. He sighed heavily in slight sleep deprivation and frustration.

 Louis didn't understand two things about his flat. One, it's construction and architecture. He could both hear the elevators ding open and close, and his neighbors from the same room. Second,he could almost hear the next person breathe, how thin can walls even be?

 And this pissed him off to no end. Previously, a family who seemed to have way too many kids, all of them quite young lived next door. And the number of times Louis cursed at the kids and wanting to both pull his hair out as well as strangle someone when their wailing at unearthly hours woke him up was countless. And now, when the thought he had peace, he gets a live show?  _Unacceptable_.

  _"You could be the falcon and I could be the chaser, you can be the pencil and I can be the paper.."_

 _Oh for fucks sake_. Louis knocked loudly on the wall to his right and yelled, " oi mate, your singing's great and all but can you just pipe down its midnight and I'm tryna sleep!!!"

 The singing immediately stopped. A very ominous silence rang in the room. Had he been too harsh?

 "Sorry mate. Didn't mean to be rude. I just need sleep."

 And without bothering to see if a reply came, he promptly fell asleep, basking in the silence. He didn't hear the quiet sorry which had come from his neighbor. oh well.

 ``````````````````````````````````````````````

The thing was, Louis didn’t usually think before he spoke. Or acted.It was a bad habit, really. He was always spontaneous, living in the moment. And curious. So thanks to his thin, thin walls, he already knew his neighbor was apparently a huge fan of singing (and sang well too), must have been big on cooking (because he could always hear pots and pans tinkling) and he also was used to hearing some weird long monotonous music at the crack of dawn, which he had no idea as to what it was.

 Louis also made a discovery, which caught his interest. Albeit, the situation was unexpected and slightly awkward. On his day off, sitting at his laptop, trying to finish off the article he was supposed to give in in two days. He was focused so intensely, that first he didn’t catch the singing from the next flat.

  _“_ _Look at this stuff, isn't it neat? Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?....”_

Louis sat up, interest peaking. His neighbor was singing…. _part of your world from little mermaid??  
  
__“wouldn’t you think I’m the giiirlll…”_ and then he heard a giggle. “ _The girl who has everythingggg….”_

Louis nearly laughed. He also should’ve been alarmed at the fact he found his unknown neighbor singing Disney songs and giggling endearing, but. He didn’t’. He shook his head and continued with his work, not aware he was humming along.

 He was too caught up to realize he was singing the chorus equally as loud. And that his neighbor probably heard him.

  _“Up where they walk, up where they run_

_Up where they stay all day in the sun_

_Wandering free_

_Wish I could be, part of that world…..”_

 He stopped abruptly, only then noticing that the voice from the other end had ceased too. The silence was deafening, as Louis stared at the wall in slight anticipation. And then, he heard  _giggling._  Okay then, that was resolved. He continued working, a small smile playing on his lips.

 ``````````````````````````````````````````

Louis never knew when to shut up. He always spoke what he had on his mind. And this had gotten him into quite some situations. So it was no wonder he had gotten into this one.

 He was just….taking a shower. Like the rest of his weird flat, he could hear the shower running in the flat next door. (and it was insane, because how thin are the walls if he can hear water??) He had grown to ignore it; Instead, choosing to relax under the warm water cascading over his aching, tired muscles.

 After a while, even over the sound of the water, he heard a noise. He hated his curiosity sometimes, but he listened, as the noise came once again, and he froze.  _Please don’t tell me that I just heard my neighbor moan._

But even in his shocked state, he registered the moans, (they were definitely moans, Louis would know) getting louder and more drawn out, and heat flooded his face. Oh god,  _he could make out “ohhs” and “fuck” now this is weird._

 Louis felt like he was in the middle of a porno. Except, there was a wall (thank god) separating them. He coughed awkwardly. He should just get out of the shower now, he thought, as the moans were getting louder if anything, and leave the guy to himself. He really shouldn’t be standing around.

 Instead, he did the one thing he probably should’ve never done. He banged loudly on the wall, and shouted, “KEEP IT DOWN WITH THE MOANING I FEEL VIOLATED!!”

 And then he nearly slapped himself because why the hell did he do that, god he should’ve shut up, what was wrong with him?

 He heard a slight shriek and the thud of something falling over.  _Oh god_. He must have startled his neighbor and he must have knocked something over. He quickly got out of the shower, cursing his lack of brain to mouth filter.

 ````````````````````````````````````````````````````

He only met his neighbor two weeks after he had moved in. He had bumped into him while coming back from work. Quite literally.

 It was never safe to be fixated on your phone while walking. Louis did it anyways. So he didn’t see the boy in front of him as he headed out of the lift towards his flat, and ended up knocking into him, stumbling.

 They didn’t fall, but the few shopping bags which were in the boy’s hand slipped and a few things scattered out. Louis was quick to apologize.

 “I’m so sorry, I didn’t see where I was going, here let me help,” he said hurriedly, both of them crouching down to put the items back in the bag. After putting them away, he heard a deep voice say, “Thank you very much.”

 Louis looked up to properly see the person he had walked into, and bit his lip, eyes flitting over him. Long curls which had tumbled into his face, green, green eyes, and pink lips stretched into a smile, cheeks dimpling. What an angel face. Louis inwardly groaned.

 He smiled, and they both slowly stood up from where they were crouching, and Louis smiled brightly at him. He was unfairly taller than him too. _Say something, you idiot._

 “Oh. It was not a problem, I did walk into you, so, yeah..” _Smooth._

“Um, yeah. But, uh, you didn’t have to,” the boy said, drawling. “Uhh, I’ll go now.”

 Louis nodded, and then realized something. The boy was about to open the door of the flat next to his. _Oh my god, angel face here is his neighbor._

 “Oh so you’re my neighbor!” Louis exclaimed, turning towards him. The boy stopped, and turned to him, brows furrowed in slight confusion.

 Louis smiled wide, and said, with amusement, “You’re the one singing songs at midnight. I’m the guy who yelled at you to shut up.”

 “Oh. Um…” he stuttered, his face lighting up with recognition, but almost immediately flooding with embarrassment.

 Louis took great delight in this, teasing him further. “Hmm, I wouldn’t have imagined someone like you singing Disney songs!”

 The boy’s face tinged with pink, much to Louis’ amusement.

 “Heyyy…you sang back too!” he retorted, fidgeting under Louis’ sharp gaze.

 “Touché”

 “and what do you mean, someone like me?” he asked in slight indignance. Louis had to bite back a smile.

 “I half expected it to be a complete dork, not someone as lovely and angel faced as you,”  _he didn’t mean to say that_. “Though, you do look like a Disney prince.

 Angel face turned only redder, a huge smile splitting his face, as he looked down shyly. _God, he was adorable._

 “I like Disney songs. And thanks. You look like a cute pixie,” he said, eyes widening once he realized what he had said. Louis huffed in protest.

 “I’m not tiny!!”

 “Never said you were.”

 True, he didn’t, but his eyes were shining with mirth and anything Louis had to say was lost, as they both stood there smiling at each other. His grin tuned into a smirk as something else clicked into place and _don’t say it_. But he never did listen to himself.

 “you were the one moaning pornographically that one time in the bathroom! Jeez mate, keep it down, these walls are paper thin!!”

 And that was it. He blushed so hard it was ridiculous, and he groaned and hid his face in his hands.

 “Oh don’t be embarrassed, Curly! We all have needs!” Louis said, voice shaking with the effort to hold in his laughter.

 “Stop…” the boy groaned into his hands. “You’re laughing at me!”

 “No, I swear I’m not!”

 Curly peeked through his fingers, and saw Louis silently laughing.

 “You are!!”

 “Okay okay I’ll stop,” Louis said, and the boy slowly removed his hands from his face, cheeks still red.

 “Um, I’m sorry about that, by the way..i didn’t realize, uh, that you could hear everything.”

 “Nah, that’s alright. This flat is constructed weirdly,” Louis said, shaking his head.

 “I’m Harry,” the boy said, extending his hand out to Louis, who shook it firmly, and with a smile said, “I’m Louis.”

 He then looked down at their hands, and  _woah, big hands._  He smirked, letting go of their hands.

 “You know what they say…big hands equals big you know what,” he said, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively,  this time properly laughing at Harry’s shocked expression.

“Uh haha. I’m…I need to go..i’ll see you later,” he stuttered, completely flustered and Louis almost took pity on him. Until Harry walked into the door as he turned, and said ‘oww’ confusedly, rubbing his head.

“Ha-harry are you alright?” Louis asked, while chuckling at him. He was strangely endeared by how clumsy and awkward Harry was.

 “m fine. I’ll see you later. Bye Louis,” he mumbled, fumbling with the key and quickly pushing inside before Louis called out a ‘bye Harry.’ He smiled to himself, and then entered his own flat.

\----------------------------------------

From then on, Louis did run into Harry a few times. Quite a few times in the elevator, outside... And they may have gone out to get food together a few times. 

Louis was used to Harry singing at odd times now. He sang back too, and shouted things at each other from their rooms. It was all a bit silly, but Louis didn't mind. In fact, he was pretty sure he had a massive crush on Harry. Which, should've been weird because he hadn't even got the chance to properly sit down and get to know Harry, but.

Harry was lovely. From what he could see, he was all charm and warmth and smiles, quite funny and very, very pretty. And endearing. All lanky yet built, adorable, yet attractive. It was impossible not to like him.

\-------------------------------------------

Despite getting almost used to Harry's quirkiness, Louis can say he did not see it coming. It was evening, and Louis was, once again stuck doing various articles. His eyes were tired from staring at the bright screen for so long. By now he was finely attuned to noises from the next flat, so he picked up quickly on Harry singing. Which was no surprise. But then he listened closely.

Was Harry..... _what the...._ Harry was singing _nursery rhymes_. He burst out laughing. Harry, was singing nursery rhymes. It shouldn't have been endearing.

". _...twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are_....."

Louis couldn't stop laughing. What even was Harry Styles? He then heard a child laughing, so okay, him singing nursery rhymes made sense, but Harry singing them in his deep raspy voice was ridiculous. He couldn't really stop himself from going over to the next flat.

The door wasn't even closed, so Louis slipped inside, instantly spotting harry with his back towards him, hair up in a bun (Jesus), humming. Louis took a few steps towards him, a grin threatening to take over his whole face. Leaning against the wall, he said, "nursery rhymes, Harry? Really?"

Harry almost lost his balance as he swiftly turned around, his face going from startled to confusion to pure happiness, a brilliant smile directed at him. Louis was a goner. He was positively dead, or dying.

"Louis!!" He nearly squeaked in genuine excitement and Louis did not want to attack him with a hug. He did not.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Well I'd rather listen to you singing nursery rhymes than sit and do boring work."

"Oh that. Um, you see she was really behind me to sing-"

Something came and collided with Louis' legs, and he look down at the sudden weight clinging onto his legs, to see a little girl, about 3 or 4, with baby blue eyes and blonde hair smiling wide at him. He couldn't help but smile back.

"Why hello there darling, what's your name?" He asked, crouching down to her level.

" 'ello, 'M Emily, what's your name?" She asked in her baby voice. Louis was pretty sure his heart melted, and he said "I'm Louis, how old are you?"

" m almost four!!" She said excitedly, holding up four small fingers. Louis smiled, gasping, "my!! You're a big girl then!!"

Emily giggled. "How old are you?"

"23...." He said in mock sadness. Emily looked at him in wonder, and he leant towards her, motioning her to come closer. She leant in, eyes wide with curiosity.

" but don't worry. Harry here is a five year old trapped in a giant body. Don't tell him that though!" He stage whispered, and Emily giggled in delight, and Harry only watched in amusement and fond.

He stood up, looking at Harry. "Okay. I've gotta go, I've some work left. I'll see you later okay?" Harry nodded. He was just about to leave when he felt Emily tug at his hand.

"Louee you can join mine and Hazzy's tea party, pleaseee?"

Louis smiled. How could he say no? He looked down at Emily, who was pouting at him, and then back up at Harry who was looking at him with wide eyes. He sighed. Of course he'd stay.

"Okay. But I better get some good tea miss" Emily squealed happily and Harry smiled so big he wasn't sure who was more happy to have him.

"Hazzy makes the best tea!!" And I'll serve em for you!!!" She said, bouncing on her feet. Louis turned to Harry, smiling impishly at him. (And how did he not notice the glitter speckled in his hair, it must've been Emily)

" _Hazzy_  can make the best tea then?" He asked, smirking at him with a raised eyebrow. Harry blushed a bit, and mumbled, " I can cook and bake pretty well, so, um, yeah."

"Hazza can cook, bake as well as sing? What else Hazza?" He asked, teasingly. Harry glared (well, tried.) at him.

"Louuu don't call me Hazza!"

"Aw why not  _Har-bear_? You don't like nick names?" Louis was trying so hard not to smile like an idiot.

"That was awful. Har-bear??? Oh god..."

"Well my mom calls me boobear sti-" Louis bit his tongue. Now just why did he open his mouth. Harry looked positively devilish, eyes dancing with mirth.

" _Don't_. Don't, Harry. Do not call me that or I'll leave this instant."

Harry didn't, though he had a very annoying smug expression on his face. Louis turned to go sit with Emily where she was drawing, when he felt Harry close behind him. Before he could turn, Harry whispered, "Okay.  _Boobear_."

Pretending not to be affected by their proximity, Louis swiftly turned to glare at him, and Harry innocently smiled at him. God, it was hard to even pretend to be mad at this dork. He sighed, and turned to Emily, sitting and praising her drawing.

\-------------------------------------

They had had tea. And true to his words, Harry did make a good tea, and even better cookies, and Louis was so bloody impressed. He made sure to let Harry know that too, praising him every now and then, so much, that Harry was preening, and had at one point, been so flustered he had stumbled over nothing. Louis had no idea how was handling himself over Harry's adorable nature. And he would spend every second complimenting Harry if every time Harry reacted just as beautifully.

Emily had cleverly got them all to play hide and seek, and that's what they were doing now. Emily was hiding, and they both were searching for her.

"Emily, where are you?" Louis called out in a sing song voice. Harry caught on, calling out "I wonder where she's hiding" in a similar tone. They heard giggling from under the table, and they simultaneously looked at each other, smiling.

"Oh wait. Haz, did you hear that?" He said, loud enough for Emily to hear.

"Yeah..I think she's in the bedroom!!"

They both pretended not to see her under the table, and went around the whole house, before crouching down near the table.

"On three" Louis mouthed at him. Harry nodded.

He held up one, two, three fingers before lifting up the tablecloth and shouting "gotcha!!" together. Emily shrieked, before giggling as they pulled her out from under the table.

"Okay now I'll seek, you hide!!"she said enthusiastically and as she began to count, Harry took off running into the bedroom. Louis shook his head fondly, and slowly followed him.

He entered the bedroom, not even having to look for Harry. Because there, in plain sight, he was under the duvet. Louis went over to the other side of the bed quietly, and smirking, he peeked under the covers and shouted "boo!!"

Harry squealed, and quickly covered his mouth in embarassment, and quickly pulled him under the duvet, covering them completely. Louis rolled his eyes, amused.

"Harry, you realize she will find us easily right?"

"Shhh. Louis be quiet. She likes to win. Besides, she looks in this room last. Always." Harry whispered, inching closer to Louis.

"You're such a dork. Is this really what you call hiding?" Louis whispered, not realizing just how close they were lying.

"Shh Lou I think I hear her coming, lay still!" Louis did as told, not being able to keep his smile off his face.

"She's gonna find us!!" Harry whispered childishly, giggling. And Louis couldn't help himself. Harry looked pure innocent and eyes shining with childish excitement, smile ever so big. Without giving it another thought, he swiftly leaned over and kissed him, Harry instantly stopping his laughter in surprise.

Before he could react, Louis pulled back to gauge his reaction. Harry looked momentarily stunned, eyes wide with wonder, before recovering and smiling at him shyly, and puckered his lips at Louis. Louis laughed, and kissed him again, for a bit longer, biting at his lower lip, and Harry gasped. He was so _responsive_ ; Louis wasn't sure if his system was even working anymore, so completely clouded by Harry.

He pulled back, lightly thumbing across Harry's bottom lip. Harry looked at him for a second, before his face split into the warmest smile he had ever seen, and he hid his face into Louis' chest, muffling his happy laughs. Louis was certainly not gonna survive.

"God, you're so fucking cute" he groaned, twisting a stray curl around his finger. Just as Harry opened his mouth to say something back, they both felt something jump on them, and they both gasped.

"I found you!!!" Emily shouted, pulling the covers off their flushed faces, and smiled toothily at them.

"You did!! You win!!!" Harry shouted, and Emily laughed happily. When he caught Louis looking at him fondly, he smiled back just as fondly.

\-------------------------------------------

Emily had wanted to watch frozen, and they did. Louis found that watching Harry was even more entertaining, and he could not keep his eyes off Harry's open smile and unabashed childlike innocence. Harry had caught him staring a couple of times, each time ducking his head and blushing. It was beautiful.

Emily had sung all the songs. Harry did too. Louis had rolled his eyes at him, though smiling. After Harry had incessantly poked him for not singing, he joined in, all three of them singing at the top of their voices.

As the movie came to an end, Emily was asleep in his lap. Harry smiled, gently picking her up and after laying her on the bed and tucking her in, he returned to Louis.

"I was babysitting her for my friend. They'll be back tomorrow to get her." He said softly, gazing intently at him. Louis nodded.

"It was really nice to finally spend time with you Harry. But I've really got to go now."

"You could stay! You can take the couch, or wait, I can take the couch you could take the bed-" Harry rushed.

Louis laughed a little. "Haz. I live next door. I would have stayed, love, but I have work to finish. Another time, okay?"

Harry looked a bit sad, though he brightened at 'another time'. He nodded, and bit his lip uncertainly as Louis walked over to the door. Louis rolled his eyes.

"C'mere"

Harry happily bounced towards him, and Louis leaned up and pressed a small kiss to the corner of his mouth, and pulled away. Harry whined.  _God, so responsive_.

He leaned back in, and kissed him chastely, and then kissed him on his cheek. Harry positively beamed at him.

"Goodnight." He said softly.

"Goodnight." Harry said, kissing his nose. 

Louis turned once more to go, but quickly stopped, a thought occurring to him.

"Haz?"

"Yeah?"

"Be the peanut butter to my jelly"

"What??" Harry looked at him, puzzled. Louis smiled at him goofily.

"I'm asking you out, silly. "

"Oh..."Harry said, scratching the back of his neck.

"I'll come over tomorrow at six in the evening. And then we'll plan our date." Harry nodded happily.

"Or better yet, we'll just decide on the way." He said, and Louis agreed. No matter where he went, it was bound to be the best time, as he'd be with Harry.

"Ok. Goodnight Lou" Harry said giddily.

"Goodnight baby" Louis said, the term of endearment slipping out without meaning to, but seeing Harry glow at his words, he wasn't too worried. He kissed Harry once more, and then shut the door behind himself, and went into his flat.

He sighed in content. He had never felt more connected to anyone in such a short time. If it had taken thin walls and weird construction to find someone like Harry, then Louis was never complaining about his flat again. Never.

 


End file.
